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WPP’s Sir Martin To Olympic Committee: Embrace YouTube Or Lose Your Audience

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With the 2016 Olympic Games all squared away and set for Rio de Janeiro, members of the International Olympic Committee could get down to more serious business—such as how to handle the issue of online video. WPP Group CEO Sir Martin Sorrell had some very simple ideas for the IOC as he spoke at the group’s congress. According to the Canadian trade mag Marketing, Sir Martin advised the committee to learn from YouTube, or else risk losing younger viewers. “If they are going online, you go online,” Sorrell said. “You have to let them play–with your content, your assets–in their own way.”

SEE ALSO: USOC Delays Its Olympics Channel Plans, After IOC Pressure

Major League Baseball was held up as an even better model of what the IOC could gain from a more progressive digital policy. Baseball is now driving nearly $200 million directly from subscription revenues to their website, Sir Martin pointed out. If they don’t figure it out, sports businesses will ultimately find themselves selling their broadcast rights for less if they did not meet the changing audience needs.

Oct 5, 2009 11:11 PM ET

Sir Martin Sorrell Photo: AP Images


Posted In: Advertising, Entertainment, Sports, Digital Olympics, Media & Publishing, TV, Social Media, Video, Companies, WPP, Countries, Europe

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